No Guns for Police Officers at Disney World

Disney World appears to have a strict no gun policy. No law-abiding citizen, including an off-duty police officer, is allowed to carry a firearm, concealed or otherwise, to protect their family from violent predators while at Disney World.

I searched Disney’s web site looking for clarification on this policy, but was unable to locate anything. On non-Disney websites, I have seen reports that off-duty police officers were asked to either lock up their weapon, or to leave the property. I did have one of their security guards confirm that even cops aren’t allowed to carry off-duty at Disney World.

I requested information from Disney World about police officers carrying firearms, but so far my request has been ignored.

Disney World is a huge, juicy target for terrorists and nut-jobs alike. When thousands of people are gathered in one spot, one crazed individual can kill, wound, and maim a lot of innocents by detonating a bomb, or by firing a gun randomly. Islamic terrorists have stated the intention to kill as many of our children as they can. Killing children at Disney World would shake Americans to the core. So, if Disney World is telling me I can’t discreetly carry the means to defend my family, they better have that place on lock down.

During a recent trip to Disney World, I made several observations about their security measures. First, I observed a lot of security guards near the entrances to the different parks. The guards were not armed, and did not appear to be any higher a caliber than what we have come to expect out of contract security companies: many were old, out of shape, or both. I observed very few guards beyond the gate areas.

Second, I observed very few undercover, or plain clothed, security or police officers. No doubt I would not see all of them, but I still spotted very few.

Lastly, at the gates to the parks, the guards check your bags. Depending on who was doing the checking, my bag was either not searched or only a cursory check was done. Every day I walked in, I could have toted several pounds of C-4 in the bag that was “checked.” At no point was I ever checked, nor was any stroller or wheelchair that came through the lines with me. Anyone could carry multiple handguns on themselves, and bombs or long guns in their baggage or strollers.

I can only assume that Disney World uses state-of-the-art electronic surveillance equipment, and they have deputies and/or armed security hidden behind the doors labeled “Cast Members Only.” However, based on my observations, anyone can carry firearms and bombs into the Magic Kingdom.

I suggest that anytime you are off-duty, you need to be armed. I also suggest that Disney World is no exception. I carried every day I was there, and at no point did they ever detect it.

Stay Safe!

note: If you have had any experiences with carrying off-duty at Disney World, please e-mail me. Also, if you represent Disney World and would like to clarify your policy, please e-mail me.